Realization
by Daysi5
Summary: By an off chance, Zach meets up with Dee Dee while searching for Cammie. They realize they have a lot in common. They also realize that they have feelings for each other. And realize that sometimes it's okay to lie. For Kiwiosity's Black Sheep Challenge!


A spin off idea that I got suddenly =) I made an accidental series out of this.

Takes place AFTER Broken Strings

Takes place AFTER Free and Unpredictable

Takes place DURING I'll Always Be Here For You

Probably isn't the last one ^^; Hopefully I'll make one more and that's it.

This is for Kiwiosity's Black Sheep Challenge =)

Disclaimer::: I don't own the Gallagher series of any characters =/

Zach pov

"Cammie! Cammie!" I cupped my hands around my mouth and repeated her name but it was no use; the pounding rain and booming thunder were too loud. Even if she wanted to hear me, she wouldn't listen. And I don't blame her.

I backed away as rain pours in through the grate and I curse to myself as the ice cold water splashes all over my shirt. I wasn't as… _petite_ as Cammie, so there was no chance I would be able to squeeze through the bars.

"Damn Gallagher Girls," I grunt, sprinting through the empty halls. "Always making me chase after them!" Instead of using the grand entrance like any new idiot, I run into my room, grab an umbrella without stopping, and yell "Be back later!" to Grant and Jonas and climb out my window.

At this moment, I didn't care if I was caught. Actually, it would be a good thing. Maybe Cammie's mom would help me look for the troublesome girl. I only need a few minutes with her, to reason with her.

I land the fifteen feet drop in a crouch, rolling to lessen the impact. The rain sent huge waves of shock throughout my body, and let me tell you, Virginia rain is _cold and hard. _It feels like pieces of ice hitting your skin. Unlike Blackthorne, where it hardly ever rains and the sun's rays are always beating down hard.

I get up quickly and start sprinting, ignoring my leg muscles that protested, since I didn't have a chance to stretch. Before I knew it, I was at the end of the manicured lawn (wasn't looking too fancy now, what with my foot prints in the ground!) and breathing hard. Now I had to climb the twenty foot wall. Nothing compared to the forty foot wall at Blackthorne.

I had to roll when I landed to lessen the impact once again, this time landing in a puddle of shallow mud, but nonetheless getting soaked in it.

"Aw damn," I mutter, wiping mud of my shirt and face. "This was one of my favorite shirts." Thankfully it was black, so the stains weren't that noticeable. I open the umbrella as the trees start becoming more separate, their branches acting less and less as huge umbrellas. I still needed 1.39 mile left. So why walk when I could jog? I started to, one thought in my head, making my legs move faster, even with the extra weight. _I'm coming to get you, Gallagher Girl. _

Third Person pov

The girl practically ran as she made her way blindly through the wide streets. She turned the corner, and without thinking, sprinted madly. But she was not a very sporty person. She wasn't built to run long distances or even short distances that fast. She stopped after almost eight seconds of sprinting, breathing hard and sobbing. It was raining now, but she didn't care, even if she hated the rain. She hated the dreary feel of it and thought the only good thing of it was the outcome; the rainbow that always appeared, proving that every cloud has its silver lining.

_But not this cloud, _she thought miserably, trying to catch her breath. _This cloud is too unwanted and unnoticed to have a silver lining, _she thought, referring to herself. She had spent her whole entire life being nice to everyone, doing the jobs no one wanted because she was the Nice One. The one who volunteered to be on the clean up committee. The one who's hand was always up, asking questions everyone was afraid to ask. She was the one who's shoulder you always chose to cry on, the one who was always there to support you. And she never asked for anything in return. Never asked for the money someone owed her when she bought them a box of chocolates. Never asked for any favor.

But seeing that playlist of songs dedicated to Cammie was enough. Josh had been sulking for three months before Dee Dee had gotten the nerve to ask him the question she's been longing to ask for fourteen years in an attempt to get him out of his depressed state and find out what he really thought of her.

And she'd been so ecstatic when he'd said yes, he would be her boyfriend. The first week was one she'd never forget; they went out of town and went to the huge movie theaters and ate dinner at the fancy restaurant. She was so relieved when his spirits were lifted, and had believed that the whole Cammie incident was behind them; she wanted to believe that she was the past.

But of course, fate had other plans.

The day after their amazing date, they were strolling through Roseville, hand in hand even though they knew the small town like their own faces when they had come across the gazebo. Josh was explaining how he once got out of lunch detention but stopped mid-sentence when it was in sight.

When Josh had been going out with Cammie, he had mentioned their moment at the gazebo countless times to Dee Dee and Dillon; but now it was a painful memory. They avoided the little house structure as much as they could, but it was hard, considering his dad's store was practically in front of it. But standing there with him, watching as he stared at it with an expression full of pain and hurt, Dee Dee almost wanted to hurt Cammie for doing this to him. She had never wanted to hurt anyone; it wasn't her nature.

But the sight of seeing Cammie laughing, carefree, with Zach's arm around her, both of them bathed in the sun's setting rays made Dee Dee want to do regrettable things. Josh had stood there, immobile, staring at their happy, carefree expression, shell-shocked. Dee Dee had begged him to turn away, to forget about them, they went to rich private schools and only cared about money and parties, but she knew that he would never forget. Dee Dee had seen him go out with dozens of girls and whisper those three words to every single one, but he had never acted that way with Cammie. He had fallen hard like any fool. She had him wrapped around her finger, and he didn't even know it. But Dee Dee did. She saw how it affected his school work and how he always dazed out and made sure his clothes were perfect on every date.

And now, seeing Cammie with another guy at the place where they'd had their first kiss, where they had passed secret notes to each other must have been a punch in the face.

Dee Dee had been able to drag him away before they were spotted, but she had a feeling they had noticed; Zach, at least. He had led Cammie away shortly, not wanting any unnecessary meetings.

Thinking back now, she realized that that was when he had started changing back to his old self, becoming colder and spending less time with all of them.

And now, ironically enough, she was leaning against the gazebo, trying to get her lungs to suck in air. When her heart rate returns to normal, she slowly turns her head up towards the pitiless rain, not caring for the drops that hit her face. She could feel something coming loose within her core; like a box being open at the thought of her first love and his blind, bitter betrayal. The way he had held her and had whispered _her _name, how he had always forgotten Dee Dee's name after the incident, how he became frightening cold after he'd witnessed Cammie with Zach.

"Damn you Josh," she mutters, clenching her fists. Her chest felt like something hard was pressing against it. Her arms felt heavy and tingly, wanting to strike something with all her new might. She could feel her heart beat angrily, in sync with the blood thrumming in her ears; it was all a new sensation to her. One usually described as anger. And the one person she had loved, admired and cared for had caused this. After fourteen anxious, shy years, he had finally decided to let her know how he felt.

And now she hated him.

Zach pov

I exhale loudly as I throw myself across the three feet gap, landing in a crouch and nearly falling backwards. I get up and race across the roof top of the house, careful not to slip on the heavy rain. Normally, I would never do this on a rainy day. Even though roof jumping was always something I was good at, even the best basketball players sucked on an ice rank. Not only do I have rain pouring down on me, threatening to push me down, I have to worry about lightning and thunder. And for someone like me that has great balance, slippery, wet roofs were dangerous, risky and stupid.

But I guess when it comes to Cammie I'm willing to go beyond stupidity.

_If I were Cammie, where would I go? _It wasn't until I was at the last house that I realized how idiotic that sounds. Of all people, Cammie Morgan is the _least _predictable.

I take out the binocular sleek glasses that Jonas made especially for these situations and slipped them on, blinking and cursing as my sight goes green and long rows of numbers appear as I adjust the sight. I let my eyes adjust, and focus them in. I squint for ten minutes, examining every square inch carefully. I groan in frustration. I want to give up… when I see a figure in the middle of the town next the gazebo, the face hidden from my view. How could I have missed that? I could only make out a white shirt and a skirt—which was what Cammie was wearing when she left.

"Found you, little rabbit," I whisper with renewed strength. I slide down the gutter pipe, careful to keep dry (not point since I'm already soaked through...) and pull out my umbrella.

When I get there, I take of the glasses and appear nonchalant. No way would I show her that I, Zach Goode, got disheveled searching for her.

When I turn the corner, I freeze. _Oh god, that isn't Cammie! _I want to hit myself mentally for thinking this person to be the girl I had feelings for. Of all the three hundred people that could have been here, it had to be _her. _Dee Dee Green. _I have to move. Have to hide…_

Too bad life doesn't work that way.

I must have made some kind of noise, because she turns and looks at me silently. And I frown. _There's something about her… something that wasn't there last time._ I smile at her and walk towards her even though the last thing I want to do is get involved in someone else's problems.

"Hey there Dee Dee," I smile a charming smile, but she barely notices. Now that I'm up close, I can see there's something different behind those azure eyes. They were empty and yet held something… if I could only put my finger on it…

"Zach," she says dryly. "Nice to see you on this fine dreary day." My smile falters at this. And I knew. I _knew. _

"Dee Dee… are you okay?" I know that I hardly know this girl (except from what Jonas pulled from the CIA database) and the LAST thing I should do is get involved in someone else's problem when I have my own. But I can't help it. Jimmy did something to this girl to make her hate him and I want to know what.

"Perfectly fine," she says sarcastically and I'm taken back by this. "Best I've felt in _years." _She looks at me straight on, and I realize the smile that usually appears on her face is gone; any sign of joy or happiness that she used to be full of is just… obliterated.

"Come on," I sit on one of the stone benches, closing the umbrella. "Tell me what's wrong." I pat the space next to me, and only when I see her wary face do I realize how weird this is. We've only met once or twice, and not exactly on the best terms, either. And here I was, magically appearing out of the heavy rain and thunder and inviting her to tell me her problems. "If it helps, me and Cammie aren't exactly on the best of terms," I say at last. I slightly expect her to start spouting that it doesn't help and that she wants us to be happy. But I only _slightly _expect it.

Instead, she smiles lopsidedly and sits. She brings her knees to her chest and stares straight ahead, saying nothing. We sit there quietly until I can't take it. _Cammie's waiting. I have to go… _I open my mouth, but she speaks.

"I thought he was over her," she mutters quietly. I know immediately who she's talking about. "Three months is long enough to get over someone, isn't it? Especially when that person hurt you intentionally and you're with someone else." She stands up and grasps both sides of the entrance frame, leaning off towards the three wide steps, letting out a rueful laugh that didn't fit her. "But who am I to speak? I've loved that idiot for fourteen years!" She looks back at me; regret and hurt in her eyes, flashing lightning making her look more ghoulish. "Fourteen years… and this is what I get." She crumples to the ground, landing on her knees, her hands clutching the first step, her hair shielding her face. I sit there, unable to move. "After a month of bliss I get a lifetime of pain and betrayal, knowing the one I love will never love me for being me—will never accept my flaws." She covers her face with her hands as she sobs quietly. I sit there stonily, wondering how to people can be so alike and so different.

Here was this town girl and me, a spy. She was everything I'm not; blissful, normal and believes there's an upside to everything. She's the girl anyone would go to if they had a problem; I was not. I was the one who caused them. I was everything she wasn't; I was negative, paranoid and believe that something is always going to go wrong—I believe that karma is a whore who picks on those who did nothing.

And yet we were both in the same hole. We both had someone dear to us who we thought loved us—but we can never be ourselves around them. Because after Cammie's reaction to my _breaking _news, I will never be able to be myself. And here's Dee Dee, who wants to be with Jimm—Josh, but he won't even give her a chance. She can't be herself because he wants Cammie. But he thinks that Cammie wants me. God, life is such a bi—

"Where's Cammie?" I jump, knocked out of my thoughts. I look to see Dee Dee on the ground, looking fragile and broken. She had her arms around her brought-up knees, her eyes red and puffy from crying. But other than that she gave nothing away.

I sigh, running my hand through my damp hair. "Honestly? I don't know. That's why I'm here in Roseville." I close my eyes before I can see her judgmental expression.

"You mean… you _lost _your girlfriend?"

"Well…" The look she was giving me was frightening. "We're not exactly on good terms, so I wouldn't exactly consider her my girlfriend at the mo—"

"Guys are impossible!" she half-yelled, but it was drowned out by the thunder.

"What about you?" I fire back. "You shouldn't be out in this rain by yourself, either."

She snorted. "Like Josh cares? Like my mom or dad _actually _cares?" With this, the mood turns dark. She looks away from me, determined to stare out at the rain. "No one would care if I disappeared." Before I know it I'm up, and in two strides I'm sitting next to her, staring at her intently. She flinches when she realizes I'm there, but I don't back down. Confrontations were my specialty.

"I would care, Dee Dee." Surprise etches her face.

"But we hardly know each other!" she protests. I smile.

"And already we have a lot in common." Lightning flashes brightly, making the world go white. The rain starts coming down harder, splattering us both merciless, the sheets of rain making us invisible. Thunder rolls from the clouds loudly, booming overhead. But I'm not focusing on any of it. It isn't until now do I realize just how beautiful she is. Her blue eyes were haunting, a hidden meaning in them. Her short blonde hair frames her face perfectly; even wet, it looks nice. The soft planes of her face are such a contrast to Cammie's…

Before I know it, our faces are centimeters apart, and all I can see are those pools of blue. My lips are suddenly against hers without me noticing. The kiss is hard and awkward at first; but then she softens, and we're kissing. I've kissed girls before, but Dee Dee was different. Her lips were soft and tasted like bubble gum. Her scent of strawberry and cinnamon was alluring. Her skin smelled of fresh rain. I could lose myself in her and not realize how many seconds have past.

We pull apart after countless seconds, both of us shocked and flush when reality hits; we just kissed. We _kissed. _After only minutes of meeting!

"I'm so sorry," she whispered. I look at her flushed cheeks, her frightened eyes, and then my eyes fall to her pink lips. I had just kissed those lips. "I shouldn't have done that!" For some reason, this struck me hard.

"Why not?" I say quietly. "We both love someone we can't be with, so why not be with each other?"

"We can't," she whispers, shaking her head madly. "Me and you… we're too different, Zach. And the ones we love… we can't put all the blame on them." She faces the rain, thinking I understand. But I don't.

"Am I that despicable?" I murmur. "That you're willing to make excuses for him, even though you realized you hate him?" She looks at me, shocked.

"How did you—"

"Your face said it all." I push myself away from her. "I'm all too familiar with it."

"It's not all his fault," she says. Anger sparks in me at the way she makes excuses for him. "I'm also at fault for acting so childish about his behavior recently." She looks at me, pleading on her face. "You have to see it through their eyes too, Zach. You have to think about what they're going through. Look at it all the way around; not just from one point." I stand, unable to deal with it. For crying out loud, I'm a spy! But of course she wouldn't understand. She's just a normal teenager going through a phase.

"I have to go." I open the umbrella and start walking away. I turn back around and give a mock bow. "Glad we were able to talk, Dee Dee." I turn on my heels, ignoring her calls. I only walk ten steps though, before I feel something pulling at my elbow. I look and see Dee Dee there, her blue eyes bright with strength. I hide my annoyance. Thunder rolls over head, and she waits for it to pass.

"Zach!" she yells through the pounding rain. "Listen to me! It's not her! It's you!" Ever had someone punch you in the face so hard you black out? Well, it hurt almost as much as that.

"If you're trying to get me to make excuses, it's not going to work." I try to pull out her grip, but she was strong; I wouldn't budge.

"I don't know what's going on between you guys, and I'm not asking for you to tell me, but only now do I realize that you can't put it all on her plate! You have to realize that Cammie may be going through some things, and you could only be making it harder." She lets go of my sleeve, letting me choose to stay and listen or go. I chose to stay. "All I'm saying is that sometimes, it's okay to make excuses for the one you love." She was drenched now, and my arm moved instinctively to shield her from it with the umbrella. She smiles ruefully. "If you keep blaming her, you'll lose not only her, but yourself as well." She stepped back from the umbrella and grinned big at me. She turns and runs towards the gazebo, leaving me standing there.

Dee Dee pov

After a minute passes I let out a pitiful laugh. Who was I kidding? Not all Josh's fault? I did nothing but help him-- and now I helped someone else besides myself. But I was glad. Zach and Cammie deserve to be together. Telling Zach it's also his fault was just something that I learned to tell myself long ago. I learned that blaming myself for half the things Josh did all himself was something that helped. But by just looking at Zach, I new that he was part to blame, even if he didn't know it. So I guess you could say I helped guide him to a temporary solution. Because to find one that'll last was something they both needed to do.

But my situation is completely different. It _is _all Josh's fault. He brought this upon himself by closing us all of. Try as I might, I could never make myself believe that I was part to blame. Josh was all at fault-- and it only took me fourteen years to realize this.

"All your fault, Josh Abrams."

Zach pov

_"You lose not only her, but yourself as well." _

"Cammie," I whisper to myself. "Where are you? I can't lose you! Not yet!" I sprint through the streets, unable to contain myself. Dee Dee's words made too much sense.

_"It's okay to make excuses for the one you love."_

Cammie doesn't need an excuse, and I only realize that now. She's been through a lot; not only did she just have to break a heart, she was forced to break her own and deal with seeing Josh every time she had to come to town. And only now do I realize how much of a burden spying is. I used to think spying meant cool gadgets and taking down bad guys. But it also means secrets and a thick web of lies. And I haven't been making it easier. I've been teasing her about Josh and leading her on when I wasn't ready for a relationship. And I made it worse today by burdening her with my secret.

But now I know what I need to do.

"I will find you, Cameron Morgan."

* * *

A/N::: So how was it? A very unlikely couple =D

Read and Review!  
=^-^=


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